Philippine E-Journals

QITs, leadership, and quality assurance in university education

Aida Licaros Velasco

 

Abstract:

Leadership in educational institutions has been considered as a key factor in the delivery of quality education. The design and implementation of the leadership structure are critical factors in order for quality in higher education to be attained. Most literature in Total Quality Management has cited the use of quality circles in helping the leadership of an organization to manage and assure quality. The concept of quality improvement teams or QITs was derived from quality circles as conceptualized by lshikawa. This paper presents the use of quality improvement teams (QITs) in relating the concept of people empowerment and total involvement in making decisions in educational institutions that becomes the foundation in assuring quality in higher education. This paper will discuss the experience of implementing ClITs in the leadership of On La Salle University -Manila (DLSU-Manila). This paper has considered the leadership structure and management system being implemented at DLSU-Manila as the major quality enabling mechanism for the performance of the university for the last ten years. DLSU-Manila is the only university in the Philippines that has been awarded Level IV Accreditation by the Philippine Commission on Higher Education. Level IV Accreditation is the highest accreditation level given to an educational institution in the Philippines. The attainment of this recognition Is traced by this paper to be mainly driven by the leadership structure and total involvement of the different sectors of the university. This involvement has long been established through council and committees. This paper has termed these council and committees quality improvement teams or OM.